(19) |
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(11) |
EP 0 025 850 A3 |
(12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
(88) |
Date of publication A3: |
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24.06.1981 Bulletin 1981/25 |
(43) |
Date of publication A2: |
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01.04.1981 Bulletin 1981/13 |
(22) |
Date of filing: 08.08.1980 |
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(84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
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BE DE FR GB IT NL SE |
(30) |
Priority: |
19.09.1979 US 77245
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(71) |
Applicant: THE FIRESTONE TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY |
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() |
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(72) |
Inventors: |
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- Fieldhouse, John William
()
- Graves, Daniel Frank
()
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(54) |
Process for the polymerization of cyclic polyhalophosphazenes using a catalyst composition
of boron trihalide and oxygenated phosphorus compounds |
(57) Linear polydihalophosphazene polymers which are substantially free of gel are prepared
by thermally polymerizing a cyclic polyhalophosphazene represented by the formula
(NPX
2)
3, wherein X is fluorine, chlorine or bromine in the presence of a catalyst which comprises
the reaction product of a boron trihalide compound with an oxygenated phosphorus compound.
In addition to producing substantially gel free polymers, the catalyst composition
of the process of the invention permits improved control of molecular weight, lower
polymerization temperature, high rates of conversion of (NPCl
2), to (NPCl
2)
n, and provides for more readily processible and derivatizable polymers.